Man accused of using license plate flipper to dodge...

1of4Preston Cody Talbot, 27, was charged with unlawful use of a criminal instrument after deputies allegedly found a license plate flipper on his vehicle April 11, 2019.Photo: Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office

2of4The driver stopped for allegedly failing to pay a toll Thursday on the North Sam Houston Parkway was found to have an illegal license plate flipper, according to the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office.Photo: Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office

3of4Toll roads use a combination of toll tags and photos of license plates to make sure that the driver pays the proper toll. Talbot managed to evade paying $5,473 in tolls, police said.Photo: Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office

4of4Preston Cody Talbot, 27, was charged with unlawful use of a criminal instrument after deputies allegedly found a license plate flipper on his vehicle April 11, 2019.Photo: Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office

A man accused of using a device to conceal his license plate to avoid paying tolls has slipped away from criminal charges, at least for the moment.

27-year-old Preston Cody Talbot was arrested on April 11, 2019 on the North Sam Houston Parkway. He was found to have an illegal license plate flipper, a souped-up license plate cover designed to temporarily cover a plate with a black sheet, according to the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office.

But during a court hearing today, the case against Talbot was discharged, according to court records. "The judge found there is not any probable cause at this time," said Dane Schiller with the Harris County District Attorney's Office.

While Talbot may be free for now, the case has not been dismissed. "The matter remains under investigation as we continue to develop additional evidence," said Schiller.

Jay R. Jordan is the Houston Chronicle’s breaking news reporter for Chron.com. He was raised in Montgomery, Texas, and attended Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. There, he led the student newspaper that helped the university win the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association’s coveted director’s trophy two years in a row. From Sam Houston State University, he interned at Community Impact Newspaper before working as breaking news reporter for The Courier of Montgomery County. He has worked in the Houston Chronicle newsroom since January 2018.